Touch fastener products have been produced in a continuous molding process, in which a plastic resin strip base is molded with integral fastener element stems extending from one surface. Typically, this molding is performed in a high pressure nip, such as between two counter-rotating rollers or against a single roller that defines miniature cavities in its peripheral surface, for molding either fastener element stems or complete fastener elements. To fill the miniature cavities at a high rate of speed, significant nip pressure is required. The calender nip is typically quite thin, for molding a correspondingly thin and flexible fastener element base. Because of the delicate nature of the surface of the molding roll, and the expense of producing such rolls, care must be taken to avoid roll surface damage.
Kennedy et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,015, disclosed that, with proper controls, some preformed sheet materials could be introduced to the calender nip for in situ lamination to the base of the fastener element tape while the tape was being molded, under conditions that would not impede the filling, cooling and removal of fastener element stems from their respective cavities, nor cause local damage to the molding roll surface. Clune, U.S. Pat. No. 6,827,893, disclosed that a folded web could be introduced to the calender nip for in situ lamination to the base of the fastener element tape to form a tab section adjacent to a fastener tape section of the fastener product.